“Intense” fire destroys house, damages Roseville fire truck

Roseville fire crews work to extinguish a fire that destroyed a house on Rosemont near 12 Mile and Utica roads on Wednesday evening. The house was a total loss. MICHAEL FERDINANDE -- FOR THE MACOMB DAILY

Portions of the second floor begin to buckle from the intense heat. MICHAEL FERDINANDE -- FOR THE MACOMB DAILY

Roseville firefighters worked Wednesday evening to contain a blaze that was so hot, it melted some equipment on fire rigs, according to a fire official.

Fire crews were called to a two-story house on Rosemont in the area of 12 Mile and Utica roads after passers-by saw flames and smoke coming from the house. Plumes of thick black smoke reportedly were visible from miles away.

“It was a very intense fire,” said Battalion Chief Todd Adams. “The heat actually damaged one of our trucks. It melted some of our emergency lights and tools that were in the rig.”

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Adams said the cause of the fire is under investigation, but added it was started “unintentionally.” He said he could not comment on a report that the blaze began from a burning candle coming in contact with a curtain inside the home.

The family was able to safely escape and no injuries were reported. The owner was renting from his mother, officials said.

Adams said when he arrived at the scene, flames were coming from a second floor window. He walked around the structure to inspect the building and by the time he returned to the front, about 20 seconds later, the fire had dramatically increased.

At the same time, the initial crew was preparing to head in the front door, but they were pulled back by command personnel.

“By then, fire was coming out of every opening of the house,” Adams said. “We got the guys out of there and went right into a defensive mode.”

With assistance from firefighters from Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores, fire crews worked to prevent the flames from spreading to other houses. Still, several houses and garages had damage from blowing embers.

“Once a fire gets going, it creates its own wind, like a campfire,” Adams said. “There was no way we could send the guys in there.”

Firefighters were able to put into use a new ground monitor at the scene. The monitor is a lightweight piece of equipment that holds a fire hose to free up firefighters for other duties. Roseville crews had exercised with the new equipment just a few hours before the Rosemont incident.